Design wall Monday

It is a cold and rainy day here in Phoenix today.

Just a perfect day to stay inside and quilt away.

I've even hoping that perhaps I might be able to steal and

hour or so and curl up with a quilt and a book.

That's just what rainy days are for.

And since we don't get them too often in Phoenix

I really should take advantage of it!

This is what is on my design wall today.

I decided that instead of starting new projects

that I really needed to get some of my own tops

QUILTED!

After all.......that's what I DO!

So I will be using my design wall to

design the quilting that needs to be done!

This is a quilt for Sharon that I finished just last night.

This quilt for Liz will be a Christmas gift.

I put the finishing touches on this quilt this weekend.

This weekend was busy and productive!

I got up early on Saturday morning and started my day baking bread.

Banana bread that is.

I really like baking my banana bread in these little ceramic pans

that I bought at Michaels. They are the perfect size and don't

take forever in the oven.

Yummy!

While the bread was baking I started making my fudge.
I always make fudge for Christmas......Chocolate fudge and
Peanut Butter fudge (my fav)
I've been making this fudge for YEARS and I pretty much
know what it is suppossed to look like at each step of the way.
Well, this year it just didn't look right.....looked kinda greasy,
like maybe there was too much butter. Lo and behold, I checked
and I had misread the butter label......The recipe called for 3/4 cup
of butter and I measured 3/4 POUNDS of butter. Almost double what
the recipe called for. So I quickly doubled all of the other ingrediants and
crossed my fingers! I have never made a double batch before, and thankfully
it worked out just fine. So when I made the next batch I doubled it too!
Much faster, much easier.

I think I'll do it that way every Christmas when I made a ton of fudge!

Well, if you make fudge then you know that you always have

marshmellow creme jars leftover.

I always save them and usually have a ton of them.

This year I decided to make up a big batch of cookie dough mix

and put them in jars with a recipe for making Snickerdoodles!

All you need to do is add ONE EGG to this mix!

So that is just what I did. Each of these jars will get a small

bag of cinnamon mix and a recipe tucked under a square of

pretty fabric and tied up with a ribbon.

Another really amazing part of my weekend was when my

daughter and I went to Burlington Coat Factory.

I remember seeing before Halloween that they had the cutest little

Halloween costumes for babies.

I was in the same shopping mall for another reason so I figured

that I should stop in and see if maybe they had any leftovers marked down.

I bought these two outfits

and these two costumes.

Aren't they sweet?

Why did I buy so many?

Well for one reason we don't know if Jenny is having a boy or girl yet.

But the REAL reason is that these clothes were marked down to......

drum roll please...............

$.99

Yep, you read that right......Ninety Nine cents!

I just LOVE a bargain!

Just before Thanksgiving I received a package in the mail

from Bec, my Springtime swap partner.

I didn't open until just this last weekend.

I was planning on saviang it until Christmas

because, well, that is what you do with Christmas presents.

But I've had this crummy cold and my husband was travelling this

weekend so I figured that I really NEEDED to open this gift!

Would you look at what was inside?!?!?!!!!!

What a treat! Inside was this gorgeous stocking

filled with fabric and candy.

I'll just tell you that I was tickled pink!
And it sure did make me feel better and made my day a little brighter!
Thank you so much Bec!

You are a dear!

Well, I'm off to go and quilt that quilt that is on the design wall.

If Judy can make a whole quilt from start to finish in mere days

then I should be able to quilt and bind one.....right?

Judy........you are my hero!

Check out Judy's blog here: http://www.patchworktimes.com/